7 skills for a successful management career

To successfully lead a team and become a respected manager, you'll need specific business skills. Find out more about the qualities of a good manager and how to develop and hone these attributes

If you're invited to interview for a manager, supervisor or team leader position, use your experience to explain how you've acquired and developed the following skills as you answer a selection of management interview questions.

Interpersonal skills

Management jobs are all about people, and building successful relationships is integral. To lead a team, you'll need to earn the respect of your colleagues, which involves learning how to deal effectively with people.

Setting time aside to get to know team members on both a personal and professional level through social activities or team-building events while still maintaining professional boundaries will go a long way toward earning their respect.

You need to demonstrate your managerial qualities and authority, as well as play your part as a member of a team.

Communication and motivation

Effective leaders must master all forms of communication, including written, verbal and listening skills.

As a team manager, you're the line of communication between frontline staff and senior management. You'll liaise with a variety of people, from entry-level employees to heads of departments and CEOs, via email and social media, over the phone, and in presentations, meetings, and one-to-ones.

You'll need to establish a trusting relationship with employees so they feel comfortable sharing information with you and vice versa.

To ensure that lines of communication remain open, you'll need to make yourself readily available and accessible to your employees to discuss any issues or concerns. An open-door policy or weekly or monthly team meetings should facilitate this. Let your staff know they matter by maintaining eye contact, smiling, and listening attentively.

An open, positive attitude goes a long way to creating a healthy work environment. Don't shut yourself off or put yourself on a pedestal.

Ensure your staff feel valued through:

• active encouragement
• recognising achievements
• taking an interest in your employees' lives.

A positive workplace creates happy, motivated employees.

Organisation and delegation

As a manager, you'll juggle multiple responsibilities, so excellent organisational skills are vital.

You'll need to:

• manage your own time and workload
• oversee the work of other employees
• attend meetings and training sessions
• carry out appraisals and review company policies.

Sloppy working practices, tardiness, poor time management and a general lack of organisation won't be tolerated at this level and will set a bad example to your staff.

Effective organisational skills reduce stress, save time and ensure that critical deadlines are met.

Many managers ease their busy workloads by delegating tasks to colleagues. To do this effectively, analyse and identify your employees' skills and assign duties according to their skill set.

Delegation isn't a sign of weakness. In fact, it can increase a manager's ability to accomplish more work while developing the team's confidence and skills.

Forward planning and strategic thinking

It's a manager's job to see the bigger picture, so in addition to focusing on today's tasks and responsibilities, you'll need to plan for the future.

This means:

• setting priorities in line with company goals
• reviewing systems and policies
• attending training
• managing the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of your team.

As a strategic thinker, you'll encourage innovation and change to make your team and the organisation more productive and profitable.

Problem solving and decision-making

You'll be tasked with spotting and solving problems daily in a managerial position. This requires outstanding attention to detail and remaining calm under pressure.

To ensure your team is productive and the workflow runs smoothly, you'll have to think on your feet when problems arise.

Creative thinking will help you devise innovative solutions that minimise the impact on your team and the business.

Thinking on your feet also comes in handy when you have to make a snap decision about completing a task or meeting a business goal successfully. It is essential to be able to quickly weigh up the pros and cons of a situation and make an informed decision.

Commercial awareness

According to recruiters, graduates often lack commercial awareness. It's therefore in high demand among business employers.

Understanding the marketplace where a business operates and what makes it successful is crucial if you want to progress to management.

To demonstrate this, you'll need to show that you:

• are aware of the organisation's mission and aims
• have an understanding of the sector the company operates in
• know about the political and economic issues affecting the business
• can identify the company's competitors.

Mentoring

Managers must be business-focused decision-makers and supportive. If you've reached this senior level, you have a repertoire of experience, knowledge, and skills, and it's your job to pass this knowledge on and share your skills with others.

This involves training and advising staff and building their confidence and skills. In a management position, you'll be the driving force behind the progression of team members.

How do I develop leadership and management skills?

They can be learned, honed and developed through various activities.

Gain skills at university

• Join student societies - put yourself forward to be captain of a sports team or sign up to chair a pre-existing club. If your area of interest isn't represented, you could use your initiative to create and become president of your society or apply to represent others as a students' union officer. Read about standing for student elections and the importance of extra-curricular activities.
• Complete an internship or volunteer - you could participate in an industry internship. These look great on your CV and provide a first-hand glimpse of what it's like to manage a team. In addition to building your skills and confidence, internships also provide you with a list of valuable contacts that could help you secure a job in the future. To gain experience in a supportive capacity, you could volunteer as a mentor or sports coach. This could see you working with adults in the community or children in education settings. Other relevant volunteering activities include leading a community team on an environmental project and managing a group of charity fundraisers.
• Find part-time work - management and leadership skills can also be developed through part-time employment in team/department leader and supervisory roles. It doesn't matter where you work - you could manage bar or hospitality staff, supervise retail or factory workers, or lead admin teams. All experience is valuable, especially when you're in a position of responsibility.

Hone your managerial skillset after graduation

• Study for professional qualifications - the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) revealed that three-quarters of employers believe more graduates should undertake professional qualifications since these provide evidence of and help to develop practical managerial skills. To discover what training is on offer, see professional qualifications.
• Take online short courses - if you feel your management skills need a boost, consider signing up for an online short course, such as the people management skills programmes run via FutureLearn. Get more information on microcredentials and online learning in general.
• Seek out a mentor - this could be a current or previous employer, a contact you've made through work experience or an internship, a family member or a friend. Contact them and ask if they will act as your mentor. In this capacity, they can give you advice, guidance and personalised feedback regarding your management style.

Find out more

• Learn about other skills employers look for.
• Study a relevant management course.
• Explore the range of business jobs available.